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Authors: Addison Fox
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fits the bill,” Chuck said with a wink before he turned to see one of his sous chefs waving an agitated hand. “I’d better get back over there. The natives are restless.”
Nathan shook hands before Chuck walked off, still chafing at the man’s appraisal of Keira. The woman was the entire package, but it didn’t mean she was a package of meat. With a final glance over his shoulder toward Chuck’s station, where the man ignored his frantic sous chef to flirt with a fan, Nathan resolved to put it out of his mind. He also resolved that he’d pull back the offer he was planning to extend to Chuck to expand his restaurant empire into the Las Vegas project.
“You look oddly satisfied. Please don’t tell me you’ve run off one of the biggest draws of the show.”
As if his conversation with Chuck had conjured her up, Keira appeared at his side. “Not at all,” he said.
She shrugged her slim shoulders. “You must be building takeover plans in your head, then.”
Nathan couldn’t resist the small smile playing the corners of Keira’s lush mouth and felt the tight knot in his stomach begin to untangle. “Join me for a drink and I may share a thought or two.”
“I’m working.”
The hum of activity swirled around them. “The show’s running without a hitch. You’re entitled to a few minutes to yourself.”
“Alone in my room with a bottle of wine and a bubble bath is what I had in mind.”
An image of Keira clad in nothing but bubbles shot straight to his groin, and Nathan bit back a rough cough at the image she presented in his mind. Leaning in, he pressed his lips to the delicate curve of her ear, dropping his voice to a husky whisper. “I’d be more than happy to join you.”
As if realizing what she’d suggested, she bit back a small, strangled moan. “It wasn’t an invitation.”
“Then accept mine and join me for a drink.”
“You’re rather smooth.”
“Darling, you ain’t seen nothing yet.”
…
Keira sipped a club soda with lime in the hotel bar a half hour later and wondered how she’d been neatly maneuvered for the second time into having drinks with Nathan Cooper.
She still couldn’t believe she’d come out with the bubble bath line. Or why she’d deliberately sought him out. She had a ready excuse to avoid him—a weekend chock-a-block full of client entertaining and media wrangling, all while running a major conference.
So what was wrong with her?
Shaking it off, she focused on their conversation. She was here, wasn’t she? It was about time she put the interaction to good use and tried to figure out what he was planning with his takeover attempt.
“What’s been your favorite part of the show?”
“I’ve only seen about a third of it.”
Nathan took a gulp of his beer. An entirely inappropriate shot of heat ran the length of her spine as she took him in, her gaze lingering on his lips, moist from the beer. Although he wore designer suits with a casual ease, she found the sight of him in less formal clothing only served to heighten the inconvenient attraction brewing between them.
She couldn’t see his nicely tanned forearms underneath rolled-up cuffs when he wore a suit, nor could she see the imprint of his shoulders through his shirt when he was covered in pressed wool. And there was no way she could see the light smattering of chest hair at the V of his shirt with the hindrance of a tie. The fact she could see those things now had tentacles of need wrapping around her midsection, sensitizing her skin and making her very aware of her own body.
“The wine section moved as smoothly as you said it would. You can see people find their groove around station three and then they’re off to the races.”
“Gotta love those California Cabs.” Keira focused on his words in a vain attempt to ignore the increasing discomfort of her traitorous body.
“But I think my favorite area’s been the appliances.”
She wasn’t sure if it was the word appliance or the
Nathan shook hands before Chuck walked off, still chafing at the man’s appraisal of Keira. The woman was the entire package, but it didn’t mean she was a package of meat. With a final glance over his shoulder toward Chuck’s station, where the man ignored his frantic sous chef to flirt with a fan, Nathan resolved to put it out of his mind. He also resolved that he’d pull back the offer he was planning to extend to Chuck to expand his restaurant empire into the Las Vegas project.
“You look oddly satisfied. Please don’t tell me you’ve run off one of the biggest draws of the show.”
As if his conversation with Chuck had conjured her up, Keira appeared at his side. “Not at all,” he said.
She shrugged her slim shoulders. “You must be building takeover plans in your head, then.”
Nathan couldn’t resist the small smile playing the corners of Keira’s lush mouth and felt the tight knot in his stomach begin to untangle. “Join me for a drink and I may share a thought or two.”
“I’m working.”
The hum of activity swirled around them. “The show’s running without a hitch. You’re entitled to a few minutes to yourself.”
“Alone in my room with a bottle of wine and a bubble bath is what I had in mind.”
An image of Keira clad in nothing but bubbles shot straight to his groin, and Nathan bit back a rough cough at the image she presented in his mind. Leaning in, he pressed his lips to the delicate curve of her ear, dropping his voice to a husky whisper. “I’d be more than happy to join you.”
As if realizing what she’d suggested, she bit back a small, strangled moan. “It wasn’t an invitation.”
“Then accept mine and join me for a drink.”
“You’re rather smooth.”
“Darling, you ain’t seen nothing yet.”
…
Keira sipped a club soda with lime in the hotel bar a half hour later and wondered how she’d been neatly maneuvered for the second time into having drinks with Nathan Cooper.
She still couldn’t believe she’d come out with the bubble bath line. Or why she’d deliberately sought him out. She had a ready excuse to avoid him—a weekend chock-a-block full of client entertaining and media wrangling, all while running a major conference.
So what was wrong with her?
Shaking it off, she focused on their conversation. She was here, wasn’t she? It was about time she put the interaction to good use and tried to figure out what he was planning with his takeover attempt.
“What’s been your favorite part of the show?”
“I’ve only seen about a third of it.”
Nathan took a gulp of his beer. An entirely inappropriate shot of heat ran the length of her spine as she took him in, her gaze lingering on his lips, moist from the beer. Although he wore designer suits with a casual ease, she found the sight of him in less formal clothing only served to heighten the inconvenient attraction brewing between them.
She couldn’t see his nicely tanned forearms underneath rolled-up cuffs when he wore a suit, nor could she see the imprint of his shoulders through his shirt when he was covered in pressed wool. And there was no way she could see the light smattering of chest hair at the V of his shirt with the hindrance of a tie. The fact she could see those things now had tentacles of need wrapping around her midsection, sensitizing her skin and making her very aware of her own body.
“The wine section moved as smoothly as you said it would. You can see people find their groove around station three and then they’re off to the races.”
“Gotta love those California Cabs.” Keira focused on his words in a vain attempt to ignore the increasing discomfort of her traitorous body.
“But I think my favorite area’s been the appliances.”
She wasn’t sure if it was the word appliance or the
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